Sobriety vs Just Not Drinking
Recoverer of Self
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 297
Sobriety vs Just Not Drinking
Day 2! Again! Been here so many times....and I know I need to change something otherwise I WILL drink again...I always do. I KNOW I need to practise SOBRIETY as opposed to just not drinking. I've thought about this before but have not been able to embrace sobriety because it would involve making life style changes that may lead to me admitting to others that I quit because I NEEDED to! (which of coarse everyone knows already!!!)
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Welcome to SR rahrah, you will find a lot of support and understanding here. Congrats on your decision to quit and day 2 as well.
You don't need to admit your issues to anyone other than yourself to quit. You certainly can, but at the end of the day you are the one who can make the changes necessary .
You don't need to admit your issues to anyone other than yourself to quit. You certainly can, but at the end of the day you are the one who can make the changes necessary .
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 585
Hello rahrah
You are not alone. I have had so many day ones. Nothing worked till I made the changes you spoke of. When I finally got serious I was able to make serious changes. It was not easy and my life changed drastically. All for the better. You are on the right path in your thinking. You've got this!
You are not alone. I have had so many day ones. Nothing worked till I made the changes you spoke of. When I finally got serious I was able to make serious changes. It was not easy and my life changed drastically. All for the better. You are on the right path in your thinking. You've got this!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,909
You know, I stopped pondering the difference between sobriety, recovery, the plan, white knuckling, and simply not drinking. In the beginning, a 100% commitment to not picking up the first drink was enough. I'm almost a year and a half into it, but haven't reached any enlightenment on the subject yet...
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,373
I know I need to change something otherwise I WILL drink again...I always do.
Have you got any ideas rah rah?
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: ohio
Posts: 3,615
Welcome, rah rah!
Yeah there's a big difference between white knuckling, mind numbing boredom, suckitude of "just not drinking" and actual recovery.
Recovery is hard at first, but when you get the hang of it it's pretty rad. Like others have said, find a plan try those links and read some stickies at top of forum. Those help. Just don't drink today. Then take a stab at recovery. Then just do t drink tomorrow. Repeat every 24 hours.
There's a daily support thread where many of us pledge not to drink, once a day. It's helped me a lot. When I post there, i know I just won't drink today.n
Yeah there's a big difference between white knuckling, mind numbing boredom, suckitude of "just not drinking" and actual recovery.
Recovery is hard at first, but when you get the hang of it it's pretty rad. Like others have said, find a plan try those links and read some stickies at top of forum. Those help. Just don't drink today. Then take a stab at recovery. Then just do t drink tomorrow. Repeat every 24 hours.
There's a daily support thread where many of us pledge not to drink, once a day. It's helped me a lot. When I post there, i know I just won't drink today.n
Recoverer of Self
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 297
Thanks to all for the support. The plan? To not drink...finally get myself into therapy as I know why I drink, and need help working through my issues/triggers....and 'no' to AA for a lot of reasons....I've tried to kick for 30yrs now....since my first drunk as a young girl and spent a lot of that effort in AA....it never worked, sponsors and all. But yes to therapy and good old fashioned TRYING (again)...
.
Recoverer of Self
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 297
Day 3....and SO HARD to go through the motions of life when I'm feeling so horrible about myself. But I'm NOT hungover...so there's that! I know all too well how this goes...I'll feel awful for quite a few days and then it will get better....I just have to stay sober today and that will get me closer to feeling better....which is when the real danger will begin. As soon as the remorse goes away the addict will rear her ugly head inside my brain and try to take over...so even though the next few days are about hanging in there...I need to make sure I do something different at the first sign of my addict returning!
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Keep at it rahrah. Have you considered attending a meeting or seeing a counselor, or perhaps doing a self-paced recovery method like AVRT? As you mentioned in your original post, just "not drinking" is probably not going to get you the results you seek.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Originally Posted by rahrah 
I'm not familiar with AVRT.... ???
Recoverer of Self
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 297
Googled it and WOW......I've never read anything like that before. I've always said that my 'problem' is having 2 personalities......one who is sober and responsible and then 'HER'......the drunk. Once she takes over....I take a backseat and am powerless over picking up. I have no idea how to stop HER. When she's here I am stuffed into a back room and nothing can get me out. However....I am learning through all my attempts and failures to control HER that there are warning signs that she's coming. It's at that point that I need to do something different than I have been doing. What exactly I don't know. I wish I could have a sponsor without going to AA! Maybe this site will help act as one. I will study the AVRT sites and keep trying.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
